Robecca
by RainStorm Riddles
Summary: *Gasp* "You've been essentially dead for a hundred years and your only family is presumed dead? You poor thing! Oh well, do you want to coach our team so we can be even more awesome and popular?" Seriously, is it just me, or is something missing here?
1. Chapter 1

**I just want to state right off the bat that this is what I consider a 'minor' story. This isn't about some dastardly villain or major disaster or unsolved mystery. This is about a character. As such, this story will probably on span out to about five chapters. But seriously, this little bit of story is seriously needed. Despite being used in several of the films, I feel like Robecca wasn't given the attention she really deserves. She doesn't need the spotlight, but she does need some time directed to her that doesn't solely focus on her awesomeness. And so that is what I've done. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

As soon as she asked the question, Robecca knew she wouldn't like the answer…

It had been three days since the SKRM team's championship victory, and Monster High's celebratory antics didn't disappoint. Everywhere Robecca turned, she was met with wonder and praise. Everyone here was so nice!

All the ghouls were eager to show her around and to catch her up on one hundred years' worth pop culture, so Robecca hardly had a moment to herself, let alone time to think. It all just happened so fast! But now that things were slowing down, her gears were starting to turn. And directions they turned were less than pleasant.

It wasn't in her nature to let things get her down. "Keep your fires burning bright or else they might go out," her father always warned. But still… one hundred years…

When Robecca first woke up in the maze, surrounded by strangers, a part of her refused to believe that she had really been in scraps and pieces for a whole century. But now, there was no denying it. She was a relic from a bygone era.

Robecca knew her father. He wouldn't have left her in that maze to be forgotten unless something serious had prevented him from reaching her.

Fortunately, there was someone at the school who could give her the answers she sought. Headmistress Bloodgood had been a close family friend, probably the closest, all those years ago. Which, to Robecca, was only days ago. If anyone could help her, it would be Mrs. Bloodgood.

So that is where she was; standing in the Headmistress's office. Robecca had the distinct feeling that Mrs. Bloodgood knew why she was here, but if so, the Headmistress gave Robecca the curtesy of waiting until she asked.

"It's really been quite amazing these last few weeks," Robecca said. She didn't want to sound ungrateful for the help she'd been given, so she figured it be best to start off that way. "Everyone's just been so nice and welcoming. You know, it's incredible really how much has changed but yet some things are still the same, like a new coat of paint on a-"

"Robecca," Mrs. Bloodgood cut in. She gave her a sad smile. "You may drop the niceties before you ramble out a speech. Don't beat around the bush."

Robecca took a deep breath. "Well, in that case, it's just that… why has no one tried to put me back together before now? And-and," it was harder to put into words than she'd imagined, "Headmistress… what happened to him?"

Mrs. Bloodgood's expression said everything. That pained look confirmed Robecca's worst fears.

"You might want have a seat, Robecca dear."

* * *

Robecca was in a daze. _Only half the group came back. _The school was empty, for which she was grateful. _The others who had gone deeper… they were never heard from or seen again. _She managed to wander into an empty bathroom. _Robecca, your father… he's gone. _

Logically, it made sense. It explained why she was left in the maze for so many years; no one could match her father's genius. (Except for Ghoulia, apparently.) But at the same time, it was data that her circuits couldn't accept. It was like her gears were jamming up, telling her it isn't possible. Her father _wasn't _gone. He _couldn't _be gone. The world didn't make sense without him.

Robecca gripped one of the sinks to steady herself. She'd never felt her furnace burn so low before. Her fire box might even be on the verge of going out. Her skin plates made soft clatters as she shivered. Before she knew it, oil started dripping down her cheek.

Robecca lost track of how long she stood there just staring at her reflection and crying silently. It could have been a few moments; it could have been a whole hour. He said he would fix her clock when he got back. _He will, _she told herself. _He will come back. _

Robecca was snapped out of her trance when she heard the bathroom door creak open. She hastily grabbed some paper towels and tried to clean off her tears, but the oil only seemed to smear. Before she could wash it off properly, the person who'd opened the door walked in.

Robecca turned to find herself facing a plant ghoul whom she has only seen in passing. She was a bit on the smaller side, but not as short as Draculaura. Vines were wound around her neck and wrists, and Robecca had a feeling they weren't just decoration.

The other ghoul knit her eyebrows together as she took in the seen. A very awkward moment passed where Robecca wasn't really sure what to do with herself.

"I'll just…," Robecca muttered and moved to leave, but the plant ghoul moved in front of her and stoped her.

"Hey, are you okay?" She sounded genuinely concerned.

"Who, me? I'm-I'm just dandy." Robecca's voice box creaked as if it hadn't been used in a hundred years. _Oh, wow. That's gonna take on a whole new meaning._

The plant ghoul raised an eyebrow. "You sure? Caaaause if I'd been out of it for a hundred years, I'm pretty sure I _wouldn't _be alright."

"I'm fine." But her voice completely cracked, and a fresh tear was already threatening to make its way down her face.

The other ghoul dropped her bag and moved forward. "Hey, ghoul, it's okay." She wrapped Robecca in an embrace as she completely broke down.

Normally she would have been completely embarrassed, mortified even, by such an encounter. But right now her circuits were fried and she couldn't think straight. It felt good to get it out, and the plant ghoul was kind enough not to ask any questions.

Finally, she pulled away. "I'm sorry. That was-"

"Na-ah," the plant ghoul cut in. She grabbed Robecca's hand and looked her in the eye. "Don't apologize. You have nothing here to be ashamed about. To be honest, I'm amazed you've held it together so well this long."

Robecca smiled in appreciation. "Would you mind not mentioning this to anyone? The last thing I need is for the team to find out and throw me a big pity party."

"Of course. They won't hear a word from me." She gave Robecca a friendly smile. "Although, the bathroom really isn't the best place to deal with these sorts of things, especially if you want to keep it private." Just then, the passing bell rang and the sound of restless students filled the school.

"My case in point," the ghoul said.

The sound of a group of giggling ghouls approached the bathroom, and Robecca realized that even if the plant ghoul kept her word, she was about to be exposed. The tears had dried on her copper skin, and she didn't have time to clean the stains off.

The plant ghoul seemed to be thinking the same thing. "Follow my lead," She said, moving in front of Robecca so that her view of the door was blocked when it opened. As the group of ghouls walked in, the plant monster said clearly as though they'd been having a regular conversation, "Oh, yeah, we can totally get that leak fixed up."

"Robecca! Venus!" came Frankie's voice. "Everything all right in here?"

The plant ghoul turned around, cleverly positioning herself so that the other ghouls couldn't get a clear view of Robecca's face. "Oh, it's all good. Robecca here's got a bit of an oil leak, so I'm gonna show her the way to the mechanics shop." She threw her arm around Robecca and lead her out the door and took a left.

"Uh, Venus? The mechanics shop is the other way, mate," Lagoona said.

"Right," she said, changing direction. "Totally knew that. We'll see you guys later."

Once they were out of earshot, Robecca said, "You have no idea where the mechanics shop is, do you?"

"No," the plant ghoul, Venus, admitted. "I'm still pretty new here. But that place is always busy from what I hear. What I'm gonna show you is a good place to be when you want to be alone."

Intrigued, Robecca followed her out onto the school grounds.

Venus took her through to the school garden where some students were settling down with computers and homework. She ignored them and headed straight for the greenhouse. She opened the door and gestured for Robecca to go on in.

When she entered, Robecca was dazzled by a multitude of vibrant colors. Flowers were everywhere, on the ground, in trees, and hanging from the ceiling. It was a major contrast to the gloom that hung over the school, but she rather liked it. She'd always been fascinated by growing things; they didn't make anywhere near as much sense as machines did.

The plant ghoul smiled at her expression. "No one other than me comes in here unless they have to," she explained. "You can hang here till study howl is over."

"Thank you," Robecca said, and she meant it.

"You know, I don't think we've been properly introduced." The plant ghoul held out her hand. "I'm Venus McFlytrap."

Robecca smiled and took it. "I'm Robecca Steam

* * *

**Do please tell me what your thoughts on this are. I have found that it is extremely hard to find legitimate criticism, so I'm just gonna say it bluntly: If you don't agree with this or don't like it, roast me! (I of course would also like to here if you _do _like it.)**

**As with Van Hellscream's Monster List, updates will be every Thursday. (AKA midnight on Wednesday Alaska time, so you should be able to access it in the morning.) **

**As always, thank you for reading!**

**Till Next Time, **

**RainStorm**


	2. Chapter 2

Robecca couldn't remember the last time she'd had such a casual conversation.

Before she'd been dismembered, most monsters her age typically avoided direct interactions with her. Back then, it was hard for people to believe she was anything more than a cleverly put together machine. She was the first living robot in existence, something out of a science fiction book. In addition, her father was quite famous for his inventions as well as a teacher at the school, so monsters always acted strange around her as if they were afraid of getting on Mr. Steam's bad side.

Now monsters were quite friendly toward her, but perhaps a little too much. Apparently, her legacy had not been lost to the world in those hundred years. Monsters kept treating her like some royal superstar and it was starting to get uncomfortable. Sure, she loved SKRM and was very good at it, but that didn't make her a better monster than anyone else! The notion of it made her bolts crawl.

Venus, however, either didn't know about any of that or she didn't particularly care. She talked to Robecca like she was an ordinary ghoul. It was fangtastic!

After they'd introduced themselves, Venus offered to leave Robecca alone, but Robecca asked her to stay. It'd provide a welcome distraction as Robecca didn't want to dwell on her self-pity. She'd indulged herself quite long enough.

They didn't share a whole lot in common, but that only made the interaction more enjoyable. Perhaps it had something to do with coming to life with nary any knowledge, or maybe it was just her, but Robecca loved the thrill of anything… well… _new. _Not that she disliked familiar things, she could go over SKRM tactics all day or spend the whole evening in a workshop, but she was also always itching to try something different, something challenging. Once Robecca perfected a stunt, it no longer held the same thrill, so she moved on to a new one.

That's kind of what talking to Venus felt like.

Robecca had gotten to know all the SKRM loving ghouls, the ones who obsessed over fashion, and the only ghoul who could match her father's genius. They were all very nice and each was unique in her own respect; people she'd be happy to call friends. But Venus had a category all to herself.

Her personality was just so… colorful, for lack of a better term. She was a little sarcastic, but it gave Robecca a more humorous and self-mocking impression rather than rude and abrasive as she'd seen in monsters before. When Robecca was talking, Venus was a good listener. Robecca often got the impression that ghouls like Draculaura only ever heard half of what she said, and they'd often jump to whatever new topic or idea popped it their head… or on their phone.

It was very bizarre to her that ghouls would stop mid-conversation to check and respond to the little devices that they called I-coffins. She'd made the mistake of asking Draculaura about those strange devices after the zillionth '_ding_,' and by golly she was given a novel's worth of information that made absolutely no sense. At least she could understand the telephone part of it.

She'd avoided asking questions about modern tech after that. While the ghouls never said it out loud, she kept getting a strong vibe of _'Oh my ghoul, you poor thing! You've missed out so much wonderful technology and stuff!' _It made her fell very dated and out of place.

At some point during their conversation, she ventured to ask Venus a bit about what the I-coffins were exactly, and she was relieved to be given a brief and understandable run down. Venus seemed to appreciate the benefits of her I-coffin, but to her it was a casual convenience, not the center of which all life was based. _That _was a huge relief because, well, the way the other ghouls talked about it had Robecca convinced she'd be doomed if she didn't if she didn't get the little devices figured out.

When Robecca asked about certain plants in the garden that she was curious about, Venus spoke in a very caring and tender way. And then she brushed up against the topic of the ecosystem. Robecca quickly learned that this ghoul was very driven and very passionate. That fire was a sharp contrast to Venus's gentler side, but Robecca understood it.

Okay, well, she didn't really understand having perpetual anger or harboring bitter emotions; getting mad was a very rare occurrence for Robecca. Her father used to joke that he must have forgotten to add 'anger' to her emotional spectrum. This wasn't true of course, plenty of things drove a rivet up her boiler. She just rarely saw reason to act upon it.

But Robecca did understand where Venus was coming from. A hundred years ago, during the age of steam, much of America was still considered wild and untamed. Colonists and industrialists had very strong opinion as to what this 'new world' should look like. They thought their cause to be just and they believed in their right to do as they saw fit. Unfortunately, these ideals did not confer with the natives of the land.

Back then, there was tension even between the human races. And normie-monster relations? _Very _rocky. The Native Americans were considered wild men who needed to be civilized. The Native Monsters were considered little above wild animals. There wasn't much either could do to stop colonists, whom were normie and monster alike.

In an age full of growing technology and equipment, people were careless. Forests were leveled. Rivers were poisoned. The natives were hit by dreadful disease. And 'wild' monsters were hunted for sport.

Her father always spoke very sadly whenever such topics came about. He said he wholeheartedly approved of advancement, but that was no excuse to become reckless.

Now, a hundred years later, Robecca was seeing the aftermath. It was a subject they talked about for quite a while. It was good to learn about what had become of the world.

Venus filled her in on how there had been great strides made toward improving the world both in normie monster relations and in ecological awareness. Unfortunately, there was still a long way to go in both realms, and Venus was determined to see advancement in the latter.

Robecca was particularly fascinated when Venus told her what America was like before the colonists ever set foot on their shores. Unlike in the east, where monsters and normies had centuries of bad blood, the people and monsters of the western world had a mutual if not friendly relation. The people had a deep connection to nature, the laws of which plant monsters enforced. People who respected the plants and wildlife prospered. Those who abused their power were dealt with harshly. Things might not have been perfect, but their way of life was solid and rhythmic.

For the most part, however, the two ghouls just made small talk. Robecca thoroughly enjoyed the company and was disappointed when the bell ending study howl rang all too soon. On the bright side, she was happy to find that she'd made a new friend.


	3. Chapter 3

The day's events had certainly given Robecca a lot to boil over, so when school let out she headed straight to the maze to blow off some steam. The SKRM season was over, so there wouldn't be anyone else down there.

Despite working well in social settings, Robecca was an introvert by nature and preferred to spend at least a portion of her day somewhere quiet and alone. It was something she'd inherited from her father. (Okay, technically speaking, she couldn't have inherited any genes, but Robecca liked to think she had in some ways.)

The maze was quiet and still. Even without players, the maze was a noisy place due to all the moving parts and rearranging obstacles, but the controls were now off as if the maze were asleep. That was fine with Robecca; all she wanted to do was a few laps.

As soon as she set off on the track, so did her mind shoot forward at full speed. Despite what Mrs. Bloodgood had said - and hadn't said – Robecca was convinced her father was still out there. She had a strong feeling inside of her that told her so, despite all odds being against it. If anyone could survive an entire century in the depths of the catacombs, it would be her father. There was still hope, and as long as she had that she wouldn't despair.

In the meantime, she planned to make the most of this new life. Already, in just the few short weeks she had been here, she had made more friends who excepted her as she was than in the entire sixteen years she'd lived in the past. It was a little jarring, but in a good way.

Robecca was startled when she heard a low moan emit from the maze. Gears shifted and shafts creaked: the maze was coming to life. Not a second after she had registered this, an ax swiped at her legs and she leaped over it in the nick of time.

She could now hear another sound amidst the clatter of the quaking maze: the sound of a pair of skates. Someone must have come to the track and turned on the controls without realizing she was there.

Curious about who it was, Robecca sped up her pace. She crossed the finish/start line, marking a full lap. Unfortunately, catching up to the other skater proved harder than she expected. Even with the maze on, she could normally catch up to any of her teammates in a matter of heartbeats. (So-to-speak.)

Robecca kept having to swerve around boulders and duck under crossbeams. She flat out ignored the multitude of darts shooting out one of the walls. Being a robot did have its perks sometimes.

It wasn't until she was halfway through the maze that Robecca finally spotted the other skater. The grey figure was making its way steadily through the maze, throwing out its small wings for balance whenever an obstacle appeared. Even though she couldn't see her face, Robecca guessed this was Rochelle Goyal, the recent transfer from Granite City.

Robecca hadn't talked to Rochelle much except for brief periods of time during practices. And those had ended some days back. Between Rochelle's sudden transfer and Robecca's own need to register, she was the one team member she hadn't really gotten to know.

As Robecca came up behind her, one thing became obvious: This ghoul was good. Better then Lagoona even. And perhaps she was good enough for a race.

She put on an extra burst of speed and shot ahead. "Passing!" she called as she moved forward at lightning speed.

Rochelle was startled, but only for a moment. When Robecca looked back in the half second before she tuned on a bend, she saw her challenge met in the gargoyle's eyes.

One would think that a gargoyle's weight would hinder them in a game of speed, but the opposite was true in SKRM. Once they got going, they were hard to stop. Robecca had to focus in order to stay ahead.

Down the track, Robecca spotted a giant spider franticly weaving thick silk across one of the entrances to a split path. She aimed directly for it until the last possible second where she veered away. It was an old trick, but it was one of the best.

Robecca risked a glance back and found that Rochelle was more agile than she anticipated. Whereas most players would try to stop and end up plowing through the web in a sticky heap, the gargoyle threw her momentum into a sharp turn so that only her wings brushed against it.

They continued like this for a while, avoiding obstacles and trying to throw the other off occasionally. There were many times when Rochelle almost caught up to her.

As she came across a wide corridor that had a floor lined with large circles like a living pirate map, Robecca noticed something was off about the track. It wasn't until she was nearly to the obstacle that she realized what exactly it was: one of the circles wasn't a pattern at all, it was a ginormous well. She came to an abrupt halt at the well's edge. It was deep and filled with water at the bottom. And who knew how far that went down?

She heard a sharp intake a little way behind her and turned just in time to see Rochelle frantically try to stop. But she was coming in to fast and did not stop in time. Her wings frantically tried to stretch out and save her, but they were still tangled in the spider silk. She went over the edge.

Without even thinking about it, Robecca dived in after her. It took one of her more elaborate stunts, but Robecca managed to use the cylindrical walls for thrust and caught Rochelle just before she hit the water. It was a good thing too: gargoyles and water don't mix well.

"Got you!" she announced.

It took a little strain on her boots, but Robecca flew them to the opposite side of the well. Luckily, the finish line was just ahead, so they got out without anymore incidents.

"_Merci," _Rochelle said. She was a little shaky, but that could easily have been from adrenaline. She otherwise looked fine. "You really saved me there; I sink line stone."

"It was no bother," Robecca said. "I'd hate to lose the first monster that can keep up with me right after I found her."

"_Merci. _You are very fast as well."

"Let my help you there," Robecca said as she pointed to the swaths of silk clinging to the gargoyle's wing.

"That would be much appreciated," Rochelle agreed.

They skated over to the bench and started to untangle. When they were nearly finished, Rochelle asked, "So, Robecca, do you always skate with the obstacles on?"

Robecca looked at her in surprise. "I thought you turned them on!"

Rochelle shook her head. "Much to dangerous to be facing obstacles alone on the track."

Just then, laughter echoed through the chamber… and it ended with a purr. It didn't take a genius to guess what had happened.

Robecca got an idea. It wasn't, perhaps, the most _noble _of ideas, but after a day like this she didn't particularly care. "I do believe," she said to Rochelle, "that we have a werecat with an interest in SKRM. What do you say we give her, her first lesson?"

"Seeing as there are two of us to 'guide' her, I say we meet all safety protocols. Lets," she agreed.

When they got to the control booth, they found their werecat was still hanging around with a smug look on her face. "That was such a _perfect _performance ghouls. I really liked the part where Rochelle flew into a ditch."

"Yes, it was quite the hair raiser, what a splendid idea," Robecca agreed.

Toralei raised an eyebrow. Not the reaction she must have been expecting.

"And we are just so happy that you came to join us!" she continued.

"What?"

"Oh yes," Rochelle said. "You picked ze, ah, '_perfect' _day for it. Just the three of us."

"Whoa, ghouls, I'm not–"

"Never tried skating before?" Robecca in. She put an arm around Toralei's shoulders and started to guide her towards the changing room. "That's quite alright. 'Never too late to learn' my dad always says." The words came out unbidden, and they sent a note of pain through her. She didn't let it show.

Toralei ducked away from her and backed up. "Hold on, I never said–"

"Of course," Rochelle was the one to cut her off this time, "if someone were to have turned on the controls _without _the intent of using them, quite a serious violation of many school rules you know, I would be honor bound to report it directly to ze Headmistress. I hear her punishments are quiet, oh, what is ze word… strict?"

Toralei gulped. "I mean, yeah, I was totally just about to get my skates on and stuff. Be right back." She hurried into the locker room.

"Don't take too long," Robecca said. "We'd hate to lose any practice time."

The door slammed behind the werecat. A couple minutes later, she came back out covered head to toe in tacky armor and a pair of spare skates.

"Splendid!" Robecca said. "Shall we get started?"

"Fine," Toralei muttered.

"Now, remember" Robecca said as she led the werecat to the starting line, "you don't have to be good in order to have fun. However, you do have to be pretty good if you don't want to get hurt."

_"What?!" _

Rochelle blew the whistle, and they were off. Toralei made it thirty seconds before running into the first obstacle. And by 'ran into the obstacle,' she _really _ran into it. It was a simple crossbeam that was lowered from the ceiling, but Toralei wasn't fast enough and skated smack-face into it, knocking herself onto her back.

"Ze gargoyle code of safety precautions highly recommends duking when speeding towards something at head height," Rochelle informed her.

"Oh dear," Robecca said. She hovered over the werecat. "Are you all right?"

"No," Toralei groaned.

"Wow, I've got to say, I never thought I'd come across some who could beat Draculaura's wipeout time. She can normally make it at least five minutes before needing a break."

Toralei spluttered, "I-I meant _no _problem! If that sissy vampire can do this, than I can do it ten times better!"

"You can skate for fifty minutes zen?" Rochelle asked.

"That's not exactly what I meant–"

"We'll round it up to an hour," Robecca said as she adjusted one of her many watches. "Right, let's go."

Toralei did not make it a whole hour. She did actually put in some effort though. And after a few darts in the paw, some shaved whiskers, and a singed tail, Toralei started to show some potential. The waterfall, however, completely threw her out of the game.

"It looks a lot harder zan it actually is," Rochelle said.

"You'll be fine, just tuck yourself in tightly and blast right on through!" Robecca instructed.

"Can't we go around?"

"Oh, no, we haven't got the time for that."

"We go through on three," Rochelle said. "One, –"

"I can't!" Toralei screeched. She tried to stop herself, except she didn't exactly know how. Robecca cringed as Toralei spun out of control and plunged into the rushing water. She was submerged in the cascade for a moment, then Rochelle yanked her out hissing and spitting.

"Never, _gasp, _again!" she spat. "I hate this sport!"

"Hm, you do have a point," Robecca said. She managed to hold a strait face. "I agree, I don't think this sport is quite suited for you."

"Can I leave then?"

"Yes, I think that'd be wise."

Toralei shot to her feet and made a beeline for the exit.

"But, Toralei." The werecat turned and Robecca looked her directly into the eye. "I wouldn't recommend coming down her again. Not unless you want to try out for real."

Toralei got the message. She nodded grudgingly and flicked her tail in irritation. Then she was gone.

"I do not think she will be bothering us or the team any longer," Rochelle said.

"I wouldn't count on it. Toralei's a complicated one, and she won't be forgetting this anytime soon. But I think we've managed to scare her off for now."

Rochelle shrugged. "There are always those who will do ill unto others."

"And that's why you left your old school?"

Rochelle's lip curled. "That school was never my home, and those monsters are not fit to be called gargoyles. I am from Scaris, not granite city. My Garrot, he is what a noble gargoyle looks like."

"Garrot, is he your boyfriend?"

A cross of emotions clouded Rochelle's face very briefly before she replied, "Yes."

"Is there something wrong? You didn't sound all that sure."

"Oh, I am sure he is my boyfriend," she explained, "but there is also something wrong. Perhaps I shall tell you, but not tonight. It is getting much too late."

The word 'late' set an alarm off in Robecca's head. "Nuts and gears," she cursed and looked at her watch. "It's way past dinner time. Mrs. Kindergrubber will be getting worried if I don't get home soon. Shall I see you in class tomorrow?" she asked Rochelle.

"_Oui_, I will be there. Skate safely." She waved goodbye as Robecca rushed home.


	4. Chapter 4

Mrs. Kindergrubber drove Robecca to school the next morning, so she was actually at the school on time for once, though just barely. (The advancement of cars was incredible, but Mrs. Kindergrubber had profoundly forbidden Robecca from taking hers apart for a closer look.)

She was barely out of the car when Frankie and Draculaura waved her down. She had a bad feeling about the overly sympathetic looks they were giving her, but it would be rude to ignore them, so she had little choice but to go and greet them.

"Oh my ghoul," Frankie yanked her into a hug. "My dad told me what Ms. Bloodgood told you yesterday."

"Oh, you poor thing! That must be so awful," Draculaura said.

"It's fine," Robecca said, politely pulling away. "I'm fine, really."

"Well, of course you're not," Cleo said, walking over to them. "But don't worry, we have a foolproof feel-better plan." Robecca had to admit that she hadn't expected Cleo, of all monsters, to take an interest in her predicament.

"We're going to keep you company all day!" Draculaura declared. "And then we'll keep you company all night at my slumber party!"

"Well, I appreciate the offer, but-"

"No need to thank us," Cleo said. "It's the least we can do."

"I really must get to class early so I'm not late again." She started to back away.

"Oh, don't worry, we'll make sure you get there on time," Frankie said.

"Hey, look, there's Lagoona. She'll totally want to join in." Draculaura began to wave energetically. "Lagoona! Over here!"

Robecca took advantage of the momentary distraction and slipped away as quietly as she could. She knew the ghouls meant well, but while some ghouls liked to flaunt their misery to the world, it was a kind of attention she wanted to draw to herself.

Heading for the school at this point would be too obvious, so Robecca ducked behind a weathered old tree. It wasn't the best hiding spot by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the best she had. She kept close to the trunk in hopes that her copper skin might blend in with the bark. After a few moments, she risked revealing herself to check the grounds.

To Robecca's immense relief, there were only a few student's left outside, and none of them were Monsters she needed to avoid.

"And here I thought I was the only tree-hugger at this school."

Robecca jumped so hard she nearly blew a gasket. "Venus! Don't do that, you could give a ghoul a malfunction." She gave the plant monster a stern glare.

Venus shrugged. "Sorry, I wasn't trying sneak. Can't say the same for you. Who are you hiding from?"

"I'm not hiding from anyone."

She raised an eyebrow. "The tree disagrees."

Robecca frowned at the lump of wood. Not something she expected to rat her out. "Let's go with 'temporarily avoid' then, shall we?" She walked out into the sunlight.

"Oh. I see. Frankie and her ghouls?"

"Did the tree tell you that to?"

"It's not hard to guess."

Robecca sighed. "I'd rather not talk about it. What are you doing out here?"

Venus snorted and rolled her eyes. "They messed up my schedule, so I don't have- Heath! Pick that back up!"

Startled, Robecca looked over to the walkway to see that Heath Burns, one of the only students still outside, was casually munching on a candy bar. A colorful wrapper lay at his feet.

"Ah, come on, Venus! It's just one wrapper," he protested.

She bristled. "Yeah, and it'll take you just one minute to throw it in the garbage where it belongs."

"Fine, whatever. Yeash." He snatched up his litter and walked inside.

"Some monsters," Venus muttered.

"That was… abrupt," Robecca commented.

Venus sighed. "I'm sorry. But if I don't call them out on it, who will? Apparently if there isn't a trashcan within thirty paces, most monsters will just dump their trash wherever."

"Are you going to station a trashcan every thirty paces throughout the school then?" Robecca asked.

Venus scoffed in mock offense. "And recycling bins. Can't forget those." She laughed. "Nah, that's a little excessive, even for me. I think giving monsters a bit of motivation's the only real solution. Anyway, I was just saying that they messed up my schedule, so I don't have a first period class right now. What about you? Are you missing a first period to?"

"Oh no, I have all my classes lined up. My first period is Monster Scareatage with Mr. Rotter."

"Really? The bell rang, like, five minutes ago."

Robecca gasped and looked at the big clocktower. "Frost my firebox, not again!"

"Is this a habit of yours?"

"I wish it weren't. My internal clock's been broken for quite some time. No matter what I do, I can never seem to get where I need to be on time." A puff of steam blew out of her nose.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much, Mr. Rotter practically worships your dad. You might want to hurry though."

"Yes, thank you. I'll see you around."

* * *

Robecca tried to enter the classroom as inconspicuously as possible. Sadly, it was not meant to be. The door was too close to the teacher's desk to be opened unnoticed.

"Ms. Steam," Mr. Rotter said in a thick accent as soon as she stepped inside, "if this is going to be a regular occurrence, then I suggest you talk to the headmistress about it."

"Already done, sir," Robecca said. She was well aware of the entire class's gaze fixed on her. "I have a permanent mechanics late pass stationed in her office."

He smiled. "Very well. Take your seat."

Looking at the teared desks, Robecca saw Frankie, Draculaura, and the rest of their gang waving her over about halfway up. They pointed to a vacant seat in the midst of them. But she also saw Rochelle near the front giving her a tensive wave, a free seat open beside her.

It made her feel a little guilty, perhaps, but Robecca slid in next to the gargoyle. But she shouldn't. She had a right to sit with whomever she liked. The others would have to accept that.

Rochelle gave her a friendly smile, then scratched something on her notepad. _Permanent mechanics pass?_

Robecca glanced up to make sure Mr. Rotter wouldn't notice before scribbling her response underneath. _Long story. Isn't passing notes against the rules?_

_None. For one thing, we are not 'passing' anything. That rule has been long abolished. Now it forbids-_

Before Rochelle could finish writing the sentence, Mr. Rotter called out, "Ahem." For a piston seizing moment, Robecca was afraid they'd been caught. But then he said, "Ms. Wolf," he held out his hand, "you can retrieve your gadget after class." Clawdeen reluctantly handed him her phone.

_-those. _

To play it safe, they didn't exchange any more messages. They did get a chance to talk during a group project, to a limited degree. The minute the class bell rang, Robecca grabbed Rochelle's hand and made for the door.

"Let's go, quick." She glanced up the rows to see the other ghouls still packing.

"Mon Amie, what is the rush? Are you wishing to not be late again?"

"No. Well, yes actually," Robecca admitted, "but that's not why I'm in a rush. Let's just say I'm trying to avoid someone."

"Really? Who?" Rochelle's face lit up. "You do not have a crush by any chance now, do you?" She looked eagerly through the mass of students.

"What? Oh, no," Robecca laughed, "it's nothing like that." Rochelle looked mildly disappointed, but not deterred. "Come on, I'll explain on the way." She pulled Rochelle out the door.

"So who is it you are trying to avoid then?" Rochelle asked.

"Quite a few monsters actually." She ducked around a clump of zombies. "Cleo, Frankie, Dracu- You know what? Just about all the ghouls on our team."

"Quoi? Are they not your friends?" Rochelle asked, confused. She stepped over a loose tile and gave it a cold glare. Not unlike the look Venus had given Heath earlier.

"Oh they are, and I love them dearly. But they seem to have gotten it into their heads that I'm going through some sort of emotional trauma at the moment and they won't leave me alone about it."

"And what would make them think that?"

"Probably the fact that I just discovered my father's been missing for the last hundred years." Robecca didn't want to bring the topic back up again, but she knew there'd be no avoiding the question.

"Ça, alors**," **Rochelle frowned at her. "I think I'd agree with them. That is no small matter.

"That may be, but I think I'm capable enough to handle it my own way on my own time. I have no desire to be coddled all day, so don't you start on me either."

"Very well. I will not if you do not wish it," Rochelle agreed solemnly. "But my wings are always open."

They entered their next class and found some seats together. This had to be the first time Robecca had ever been early to a class.

Once they were settled, Robecca turned to her new friend. "Now, I believe I'm not the only one with some emotional troubles going on. Yesterday, in the maze, you mentioned something about a relationship issue?"

Rochelle blushed. "Oui, that is correct." She rummaged through her pack and brought forth a photograph of a handsome young gargoyle.

"He is cute," Robecca said. "This is your boyfriend?"

Rochelle nodded and tucked the image away. "This is Garrot, and he lives in Scaris, where I am from. I love him very dearly, and he loves me. We exchange letters almost daily."

"Wow," Robecca said. During the time she was away from her father, they only sent telegrams about every week. "That sounds fangtastic. What is the problem?"

Rochelle sighed. "I suppose the best way to put it would be to say that my emotions have been… stirred." Rochelle explained how, ever since bumping into Duce and knocking off his glasses, she has been enamored by his gaze. She told how she knew in her head that it could never be as Duce had Cleo and she had Garrot, but a part of her still wanted to see his eyes again and hear his voice. She also told, almost reluctantly, of sending her griffin, Roux, to steal his ball so they might talk together. She wasn't proud of it.

Robecca frowned in thought. "I can't say I know much in the field of romance. My father used to say that emotions know no bounds, but he also said that love is one's choice, not an emotion. I'm not going to tell you what to do, Rochelle, but this can't be good for your heart."

The gargoyle sighed again. "You are right. Of course you are, I've known this all along." A look of resolved determination came across her face. "I must stop this before it goes too far. It can only end in hurt."

* * *

Luckily, morbid discussions did not eclipse Robecca's entire exchange with Rochelle that day. The minute Rochelle had resolved her own issue, she pounced on what Robecca had said about 'not knowing much on the field of romance.' She made Robecca promise to tell her the second she got a crush on anybody, declaring that she was a helpless romantic who loved a good love story. Robecca promised, but warned Rochelle not to hold her breath. Rochelle laughed at this, saying she could hold her breath as long as she liked; it was unnecessary to the survival of a gargoyle.

They happily chatted their way to a lunch table, bantering about frivolous topics and just having fun. So much so, that Robecca completely forgot to keep an eye out for the SKRM team. It wasn't until the lot of them crowded around the table they were sitting at that she realized her mistake.

"Why have you been avoiding us?" Draculaura demanded.

Most monsters would have denied this statement and fumbled up some weak excuse. But Robecca wasn't most monsters. She _had_ been consciously avoiding them, and she was going to own up to it.

"I have been avoiding you," she said slowly, "because I do not wish to discuss my current predicament with you."

"But… we're your friends?" Frankie said, confused and a little hurt.

"Let me rephrase that. I have nothing against speaking to you ghouls personally, I just don't want to talk about it in general."

Abbey shrugged. "Okay." She started to leave, but Clawdeen drew her back in.

"Come on ghoul, you can talk to us," the werewolf pleaded. "We're here to help."

"And I appreciate that, I really do. But I have chosen to decline. If I want to talk, I will." She folded her hands. "What I don't appreciate is being nagged about it when I don't want it. I tried to explain that back in the field this morning, but my words seem to have fallen upon deaf ears." She gave them a stern yet not unfriendly look; a little trick she'd picked up from her father.

"It's not good to bottle up your emotions, Robecca," Draculaura said stubbornly.

"I never said I was. Now if you please, I'm trying to have lunch."

"But you not have any food?" Abbey said, confused.

Draculaura folded her arms and crossed her legs determinedly. "We're not leaving until-"

"Yes we are," Lagoona cut in. She pulled Draculaura to her feet.

"But-"

"If Robecca doesn't want to talk, she doesn't have to. As her friends, we have to respect that." Lagoona bustled the bunch of them off the table. "Besides, there's no one way of handling these sort of things. Different monsters use different methods. Some confide in friends; others handle it alone."

Robecca gave her an immensely grateful smile as the group grudgingly moved along. Once they were out of sight, she rested her forehead against the table. "That was _not _fun," she muttered.

"Oui, but I think it must have been necessary," Rochelle said.

Robecca nodded with a sigh. "At least it's over with. I hope they'll forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive," Rochelle chided. "You are of the introverted type, none? They will come around to realize this."

"I suppose so. I won't be in any hurry to meet up with them for a while though." She put her head up and gazed around the room, and someone caught her attention.

Venus was standing near the lunchroom trash bins. Robecca wondered if she and Rochelle had met. She came to the resole to introduce the two when she realized the plant ghoul was engaged in an argument with someone. Rochelle followed her gaze.

It didn't take long to see who Venus was arguing with; Toralei's trademark stripes were hard to miss. She couldn't make out any of what they said, but after a moment Toralei seemed to relax. She tossed some stuff in a few bins, then went on her way.

Robecca didn't see anything off about this, but Rochelle tensed up beside her. The gargoyle emitted a soft growl and stood up. Robecca stood up to.

"What's wrong?" She asked, but Rochelle was already making her way to the trashcans. Robecca tried to follow, but some monsters moved into her path and she was delayed. She had to duck around and catch up.

"What do you think you are doing?" Robecca heard Rochelle demand.

Venus raised an eyebrow. "Um, urging monsters to remember to recycle?" She gave Robecca a questioning look. Robecca shrugged, equally confused.

Rochelle scowled. "Mind control is not an acceptable method of 'urging.' It is, in fact, strictly against school rules."

_Mind control? _This was news to Robecca, but not, apparently, to Venus.

"What's it to you?" Venus frowned. "It's not like I'm trying to cheat in classes or anything. And, in case you haven't noticed, Toralei isn't the friendliest kitty around."

"That does not make it alright for you to abuse your power." Rochelle clenched her fist.

"Hold on, back up," Robecca said. "You have mind control?" she asked Venus.

"Pollen of persuasion, yes," she admitted. She gave Robecca a sincere look. "But I promise I only use it with good cause. Specifically, on monsters who think it's alright to trash the environment."

"That is not for you to decide!" Rochelle cut in. "No monster should have their free will taken unless they are an immediate threat to someone."

"Well, there you go," Venus said, folding her arms. "Toralei was being an immediate threat to Mother Nature. Problem solved."

"That is not what I meant, and you know it," Rochelle growled.

This really was not how Robecca had imagined introducing her two friends, but it was too late to go back now.

"I will be reporting this to the headmistress," Rochelle said.

"Whoa, seriously? I hardly did anything!"

"You broke school rules, and that is something I cannot ignore."

"Hold on Rochelle," Robecca cut in. "I think that might be a little extreme." Rochelle glared at her, and she raised her hands in defense. "I'm not saying what Venus did was okay, but there wasn't any harm done either. I might go as far as to say that Toralei probably deserved it."

Rochelle thought for a moment before saying, "Fine. I will forgive you this time, plant ghoul. But do not commit the same misdeed twice."

The two glared daggers at each other for a moment, the parted ways.

_Oh, dear, _Robecca thought. _This may be a problem_


	5. Chapter 5

The next day started off normal enough. Mrs. Kindergrubber told Robecca to fry some eggs and steep some tea, Robecca burnt the eggs, Mrs. Kindergrubber mumbled about getting the one student who could burn water as she fanned out the smoke (which is completely unfair as the water didn't burn), and thus they arrived at the school later than they initially planned. Robecca was now not only forbidden to take apart the car, but she was no longer aloud to cook anything more complicated than tea. This was fine with her, seeing as food isn't something a robot needs to function. Being the Home-Ick teacher, Mrs. Kindergrubber was less pleased with this fact. It was well known that she likes to over-feed students and guests alike, so Robecca had a feeling that any friends she'd bring over were in for a feast.

But now that she was at school, Robecca had bigger problems to worry about than setting a stove on fire. Namely, her two newest friends didn't seem to like each other very much. She wanted to keep being friends with both of them, but she was worried that one might not like her hanging out with the other.

Back before she'd been dismembered, Robecca remembered witnessing the disintegration of a popular clique of ghouls, not unlike Frankie, Draculaura, Cleo, and Clawdeen. It started as an argument between the lead ghoul and anther, but it soon escalated into a full on feud. The rest of the ghouls were forced to take sides or cast out entirely; there was no such thing as middle ground.

Robecca honestly didn't know how Venus or Rochelle would feel about her attempting a neutral ground, let alone try to get the two of them to be friends. She hadn't even had a proper chance to talk to either of them since the argument in the creepeteria.

Rochelle had architecture after a lunch while Robecca had robotics, and but the time she got to her one class she shared with Venus, (yes, late) Lagoona was already seated next to the plant ghoul. The guilt of having to shut down the other ghouls' offers of help was still a little too fresh, even if Lagoona had been pretty understanding.

In short, it had been a very lonely evening.

But the day was now fresh, and there was no time like the present to try to sort things out.

She didn't even make it to the front doors before running into the first monster. Not that it was surprising to find Venus handing out fliers to any students who stopped to listen, it just meant there'd be no putting it off. Robecca walked up to her with a wave.

"You sure you want to be talking to me?"

Robecca's gears jacked up. This was _exactly _what she'd been fearing.

But then Venus smiled playfully and said, "I'd hate to make you late twice in a row."

Robecca held back a sigh of relief. "Oh please," she said, "I'm going to be late anyhow, so I might as well make the time worthwhile."

"Well I'm glad you think this is worthwhile. Most monsters don't give two cents." She offered one of her flyers to a passing Minotaur.

Manny took one look at it and huffed, "Forget it," before stomping inside.

"My case in point," Venus said.

Was it just her, or did the plant ghoul's leaves wilt a little? Robecca wondered. Venus didn't _act_ like the comment phased her.

Before Robecca could ponder this, another ghoul said, "I'll take one, Venus."

Lagoona had approached them without Robecca's notice. Venus rolled her eyes. "You helped write them, Lagoona."

"I know, but I can still show it to my mates."

Venus shrugged and handed her one of the fliers.

Lagoona turned to Robecca. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you." Robecca had a feeling Lagoona was asking on behalf of her entire friend group. Butter her than one of the others. She didn't press for details or a different response.

"Good to hear," was all she said before going inside.

"I guess I aught to go as well," Robecca said.

"Oh, here, take one of these." Venus thrust one of the fliers into her hand. "I'm not accusing you of not recycling, but there are ways to conserve resources that monsters never think about. No go before you miss the bell!"

She did not beat the bell. Natch. She'd yet to memorize her locker's combination, so that was a hassle. Fortunately, she wasn't late enough to cause notice. There was an open seat next to Rochelle again, and Robecca took it without hesitation.

Rochelle smiled at her, then her eyes narrowed on the stack of note's she'd set down. Oh… the flier Venus gave her was right on top. Why couldn't she have left it in her locker?!

Without asking, the gargoyle drew it closer to study the diagrams. If Robecca had breath, she would have been holding it.

Rochelle tapped the paper thoughtfully. "She should send some of these to Granite City." And that was that. For the rest of the period, Rochelle didn't bring up Venus or the fight in the creepeteria. It might as well have happened in another life.

All that steaming and fretting for nothing. Perhaps she had a shot of bringing them together after all.

They didn't talk during class, (Robecca knew better that to try with a gargoyle), but it was clear that Rochelle was dying to tell her something. She kept glancing at the clock and tapping her claws on the desk. Her wings would flutter occasionally to, so Robecca had to be careful not to get nicked; she didn't need any extra dents.

As soon as the end-of-class bell rang Robecca turned to face her. "Alright, what is it that's about to blow your kettle?"

Rochelle straitened proudly and showed her a golden badge. "I am now the school's head of safety and the leader of the safety team!" she boasted.

"That's fangtastic!" Robecca said. "Err, what all does that actually mean?"

"It means that I am in charge of reporting, regulating, and repairing any safety hazards, misdeeds, or broken rules. The Headmistress's test was much harder than I expected, but I have passed!"

"Does that mean you can hand out detentions?"

"Not quite," Rochelle said. She pulled out a pad of official-looking slips. "I refer them to the Headmistress who then has final say. The one thing is, well… I am honor bound to report on my friends as well. This was the big test. I passed, but it was not a good feeling at the time."

"Don't worry," Robecca said. "If you ever have to give me one, I won't hold it against you."

"I appreciate that," Rochelle said. "Although, I can't imagine a situation where I'd have to. You do not seem like the type to be breaking any rules."

"I did punch a guy once," Robecca confessed. "But he really, _really _deserved it."

* * *

Instead of heading to the lunchroom that day, Rochelle led Robecca down a corridor that she wasn't familiar with. Rochelle informed her that this is what led to the school's postal service. Very few monsters actually used letters these days, so it was a little run down and forgotten, but Robecca was delighted by it. She was glad for an alternative to the modern-day e-mail.

"A-ha!" Rochelle declared as she opened her PO box. "Right on time, as always." She held up a letter with stylish calligraphy on the front for Robecca to see. The writing was in French, but it didn't take a genius to guess who it was from.

Rochelle slit open the top of the envelope with her little claw, and pulled out a letter, a drawing of herself and Garrot together, and a single petal belonging to an exotic flower. The writing on the letter was in French as well, but Rochelle translated it out loud.

"My dearest Rochelle,

It warms my stone heart to hear that you have found a place in your new school that could never be found at Granit City, although I must admit that a part of me was hoping you would return to me. I watch every sunset knowing that the sun I see will soon be the sun you see in your new world. I can wait an eternity for you, and so I will until you are ready to come home."

Rochelle found this adorably romantic. Robecca found it hilariously sappy. She didn't say that out loud, though. There was much more to the letter, but Robecca let Rochelle keep it to herself.

Not feeling particularly hungry, (as if she was ever hungry) they both wandered outside for their lunch period. It was a sunny day, and there were quite a few monsters outside eating their lunches. They sat down on a bench, and Rochelle began to read the rest of her letter. Being left with not much else to do, Robecca let her gaze wander the grounds.

As she expected, Venus was out here to. The plant ghoul was sitting by herself just outside the shadow of a large oak. A plate of food was set beside her, but she wasn't eating any of it. Something about the scene struck Robecca as off, but she wasn't close enough to put her finger on it.

She turned to Rochelle, who had now pulled out a pen and a pad of paper to write her response. "Would you mind if I go hang out with some other monsters while you're busy?" She thought it safest not to specify who.

Rochelle nodded and waved her off. "I will catch up with you after school."

Once Robecca was close enough to see her face clearly, it became apparent why Venus had seemed off. The plant ghoul was downcast, and that was saying a lot for a ghoul who bluffed off most emotion.

"Would you mind if I sit?" Robecca asked.

Venus looked up from her untouched food in surprise. "Sure but… Aren't you worried I'm gonna use my pollen on you?"

It was Robecca's turn to be surprised. "No! Why on earth would you think that?" She be lying if the possibility of Venus having used her pollen on her hadn't crossed her mind after Robecca learned about it. But at no point during their encounters did she think that she'd acted as anyone but herself, so she dismissed it.

Venus looked down guiltily, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything against you. It's just… It's all over Spectra's blog. 'New ghoul Venus McFlytrap brainwashing students into servants.' She posted it this morning. Haven't you read?"

"No, I haven't," Robecca said. "Were would one read something like that?"

Venus looked confused for a moment, then she laughed as realization dawned on her. "That's right, you don't have a phone." She grabbed her own device and pulled up the offending article for Robecca to see. It only took a brief skim to get the gist of it, and it wasn't very flattering.

"Ever since that went up, monsters have been going out of their way to avoid me. The worst part of it is I can't blame them." Venus rested her chin on her knees. "I _have _been using my pollen to mind control. I'm only lucky that Spectra doesn't have any form of proof, or else I'd probably have a lifetime of detention. I still got a really long lecture from Mrs. Bloodgood, though."

"I can see how that might ruin one's day," Robecca said sympathetically.

"Yeah, well, I just hope it'll all blow over soon. Thank you," she added, "for not running away."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Robecca said. "I don't abandon friends on a mere rumor. Even if said rumor has a little truth to it." Venus smiled, and Robecca saw in her eyes that this ordeal hurt her more than the plant monster would ever admit.

"I wonder… Does your pollen even work on robots?" Robecca asked.

Venus opened her mouth, then closed it. After a moment's thought she said, "I don't know. It works on gargoyles and other non-organic monsters, but those monsters are made from enchanted materials, not regular rock. They still age and die. I really have know idea if it'd work on you."

"Well, let's try it then," Robecca said.

Venus raised an eyebrow. "You _want _me to use my pollen on you?"

"Just do something simple. We can call it a 'science experiment.'"

"Usually when I say, 'they were asking for it,' I don't mean it literally," Venus laughed. "But okay, sure." She released some of the spores on her arm, and the breeze carried it onto Robecca.

Robecca peered at it closely. It was yellow and finer than dust. One might never see it if they didn't know what to look for, so it was obvious why Venus hadn't been caught for as often as she used it.

"Well, that answers your question then," Venus said.

Robecca looked up. "Oh, I suppose 'staring at it' isn't what you had in mind?"

"Nope, not even close, so I guess you're immune." She put on a look of fake disappointment. "Gosh, darn, I'm gonna have to find another way to make you my mindless slave."

Robecca laughed and gave her a playful punch. "Fat chance with that, I'm as stubborn as they get."

* * *

The rest of the week passed in a blur. It didn't take long for Robecca to make up with Frankie and the ghouls, but she still spent most of her time alternating between hanging out with Rochelle and Venus. She kept her eyes open for any opportunities to bring them together, but the time never felt right. She was more than a little wary of doing more damage than good, so she settled with being patient.

It was Friday evening, and Robecca and Rochelle were staying late at the school. Mrs. Kindergrubber had approved quite delightedly of Robecca bringing Rochelle over that night, and so they were waiting outside for Mrs. Kindergrubber to finish cleaning up the Home-Ick room for the weekend. There were plenty of other monsters hanging about for after-school activities, so it wasn't as if they were left with nothing to do.

Frankie and Draculaura showed them some fliers advertising a middle school fair. They said that they needed lots of high-schoolers to run the booths, and offered them both an application. There was a list for the open booths.

They were now looking over the options on a bench in the school's back field near the swimming pool. Rochelle pointed to one. "I would not mind doing this," she said. "Sandcastles are a very fun form of rudimentary architecture. A great learning opportunity for young monsters."

Robecca studied the list, but none of the available booths stood out to her. "Perhaps…" she hesitated.

"Yes?" Rochelle prompted.

"Well, I was just wondering if the Headmistress would let me preform one of my stunts instead. It's not a listed option, but I would very much like to get in the ring again."

"That is a fangtastic idea!" Rochelle exclaimed. "Just so long as you take all the safety precautions. You may be repairable, but we wouldn't want to put it in the heads of young monsters that they cans skip helmets and pads."

Robecca promised with a laugh. She would have worn it anyway seeing as a scraped helmet was much preferred to a dent in the head. "I'll e-mail my proposition to her tomorrow," Robecca said. She still didn't have a phone or laptop, but Mrs. Kindergrubber had made her computer open for Robecca to use.

A voice cut across the yard: "Come on Manny, I'm not asking much." Venus was standing next the backyard dumpsters, which were rather run down and had trash spilling out of them. She was holding out a clip-bored and pen to the grumpy minotaur. "Just spare thirty minutes of your free hour, and you can make a difference."

Rochelle's eyes narrowed as she examined the scene, and Robecca knew what she was watching for. Hurriedly, she said, "We should probably go see if Mrs. Kindergrubber's ready to go." She tried to tug Rochelle away, but she might as well have been pulling at a brick wall. The Gargoyle stayed put.

Manny huffed, "I already told you once, I don't want anything to do with your stupid environment stuff."

Venus frowned. "That 'stupid environment stuff' effects everyone. And fixing these dumpsters is just as beneficial to the school as it is for nature."

"I said to just buzz off!" Manny shoved her aside a little to roughly and knocked her into the spilled garbage with a crash. A look of guilt crossed his face for a brief moment, but he was quick to hide it.

"There's no reason to be rude!" Venus said from where she'd fallen.

"Oh yeah?" Manny folded his arms. "What are you going to do about it? Brainwash me?"

A dark look crossed Venus's eyes, but before she could do anything, Rochelle was there, stepping between them. Robecca had been so busy watching the scene that she hadn't even noticed the gargoyle leave her side.

"_She _will do nothing," Rochelle said. Venus glared at her. "I, however, am going to send you to the Headmistress." Rochelle scribbled a note onto her referral pad and handed it to Manny. He took it begrudgingly, but even he knew that it was pointless to argue with Rochelle's authority. Once he had stormed off, Rochelle turned to Venus, who picked herself out of the trash. Robecca crossed her gears that they wouldn't start arguing, but she didn't try to interfere.

"I am afraid we seem to have gotten off on the wrong claw," Rochelle said. "I cannot ignore when a ghoul breaks the rules, but I can respect a ghoul who looks out for the school's best interests. Just as you see it as your duty to protect the environment, so it is my duty to protect this school and uphold its rules."

"It's okay," Venus said a little cautiously. "I get it. I'm not mad at you for calling me out."

Rochelle offered her hand. "Shall we, as they say, 'start over?"

Venus smiled. "I think I can manage that." She took Rochelle's hand, but immediately pulled back with a hiss.

Robecca took this as her cue to come over. "What was that?"

Rochelle grabbed Venus's wrist and pulled it closer to look at it. "Glass," she informed them. Indeed, Robecca saw several little shards embedded in the plant ghoul's palm and arm.

Venus shrugged. "It's fine, I'll take care of it at home. I've been bitten by worse."

Rochelle frowned. "There is no telling what all that glass has touched." She looked at the garbage with disgust. "You should go see the nurse."

"I don't think that's necessary," Venus protested. "It doesn't even hurt."

Rochelle raised an eyebrow at this. She drew a claw across one of the protruding shards, and Venus let out an involuntary yelp.

Robecca couldn't say she was all to familiar with physical pain. Sure, she felt a sort of _discomfort, _when a part of her didn't function properly, but it wasn't the same. Pain was a rather tricky concept to grasp for her in her early years. She'd been fooled into thinking monsters were in more pain than they were actually suffering, but she'd yet to come across a monster who feigned _not _being in pain, though she'd heard boys do it quite often. She now had a general idea (thanks to her dad educating her) of how to judge how serious an injury was.

"I think not," Rochelle said. "Let's get you to the nurse before she leaves."

Venus pulled away. "I said I'm _fine._"

"Not a fan of doctors?" Robecca questioned.

"More like, 'doctors aren't a fan of me," Venus said. "Plant monsters are a cross between biology and botany, so most modern medicine doesn't affect us the same way as other monsters. There's a subdivision just for us."

"That's rather unfortunate," Robecca said.

"That, and my pollen," Venus admitted. "I sometimes release it on accident."

Rochelle frowned. "On-purpose-accident, or-"

"Accident-accident," Venus clarified. "If I get startled or hurt, it kind of just happens. It's made me a very unpopular patient." She laughed, "I was also known to bite when I was four."

Robecca smirked. "It's a good thing I'm immune to your pollen then."

"Say what now?"

Rochelle gave her a curious look.

"There's some tools down in the mechanics shop," Robecca explained. "I'm no doctor, but I think I can pull out a few pieces of glass."

Rochelle brightened. "Excellent idea. Let us go." She pushed Venus towered the school.

"Whoa, hold on, don't I get a say in this?"

"No," Rochelle said flatly.

They went down to the shop, which was thankfully empty. Robecca swiftly cleared one of the tall tables and gestured for Venus to lay her arm across it. She put on her goggles and adjusted the settings to act as a magnifier.

"It's not so bad, she said." She grabbed a pair of tweezers and plucked out all the easy shards, disposing them in a small dish. Venus didn't complain or even flinch as she worked. However, there was one that was a little deeper set, and she didn't fancy her chances with the tweezers.

"Rochelle, come here," she said. The gargoyle complied and looked at what Robecca was pointing at. She frowned.

"I can get it," she said. "Just hold her still."

"What?" Venus tried to get a better look at the offending shard.

In a swift movement, Rochelle yanked the mini-dagger out. Venus _did _flinch on that one.

"Um, _ow,_" she complained. She pulled her arm away and rubbed it.

"Do not be a wimp," Rochelle said.

"This, coming from the gargoyle with impenetrable skin," Venus retorted.

"This, 'coming from the gargoyle' with four hundred years of first aid," Rochelle smirked.

"Whoa, are you serious?" Venus said impressed. She walked over to the sink and rinsed off the blood.

"No, not really," Rochelle said. "It was only about two hundred. But gargoyles learn how to help from the moment they are hatched." She offered some gauze, and Venus took it.

"Oh dear…" Robecca said.

"What is it?" Rochelle asked.

She gave them an embarrassed smile. "I'm afraid my condition may be a little contagious." She pointed to the clock mounted on the wall.

The three of them hurried out of the school to the parking lot where Mrs. Kindergrubber was impatiently tapping her foot.

"I can't say I'm surprised," she said once they were in earshot, "but I had hoped Rochelle would make you a little more punctual."

Before Robecca could ramble out an apology, Rochelle held up her hand. "My apologies mam, but there was an emergency."

Venus rolled her eyes. "I think 'emergency' is a bit of an exaggeration." But she held out her bandaged arm for the teacher to see, and Mrs. Kindergrubber's expression softened.

"Oh, very well. But we best be going."

"Wait, Mrs. Kindergrubber? Would we by any chance have room for one more?" Robecca looked between her two friends. Rochelle smiled, and Venus confirmed that she was free.

Mrs. Kindergrubber looked delighted. "I think I can handle an extra mouth to feed." She got into the driver seat.

Venus leaned over and whispered, "Should I tell her that plant monsters only eat once a day or so?"

"None," Rochelle whispered back. "I suggest pretending to eat whatever she offers you."

* * *

That night was the best Robecca had had since the SKRM season had ended. After all the chaos, drama, and stress of the past week, a fun evening with _both _of her newest ghoulfriends was just the thing to cap it off. Who knew that they would come together on their own? It was a great relief on Robecca's part.

It was now very late indeed, and both Rochelle and Venus left with promises to see each other on Monday. Venus had suggested bringing her ever-hungry little brothers over sometime, and that's all it took for Mrs. Kindergrubber to declare that they were welcome any time.

After her friends were gone, Mrs. Kindergrubber surprised Robecca by handing her a small gift-box. "It's from the Headmistress," she explained. "Nora thought you should have it. Now off to bed with you."

Once she was alone in her room, Robecca opened the box curiously. She gasped. Inside was a very old picture set in an ornate frame. A picture… of her father.

Robecca smiled and tenderly lifted it out of the box. Smiling sadly, she set it on her bedside table. The a feeling of resolve came over her. Yes, she missed him very much, and she would see him again one day. Of that she was certain. But now she didn't feel so lost and out of place with him gone.

Instead, she felt like she had a fair shot at making this new life a good one.

* * *

**And thus Robecca's story comes to an end... Just Kidding. I you guys have seen the series (which I seriously hope you have), you know that Robecca has a lot to offer. This here is just the part of beginning that was missing. I don't currently plan on posting any more chapters, but I might if a good one-off comes to mind. **

**I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this little story! **

**Till Next Time,**

**RainStorm**


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